Three Ambulances
by elitejace452
Summary: It's Voight's worst nightmare. Alternate Ending to 1x11.
1. Three Ambulances

Three Ambulances

A/N: I'm working on Chapter 5 of Long Road Home but this is something that I wanted to pursue after re-watching this episode tonight.

* * *

Antonio came sliding through the door, skidding to a stop on the left side of the door frame. His shoes were soaked through with snow, giving him no traction on the tile floor. His gun was drawn as he took in the scene in front of him. Jay was trying to get his feet under him, blood dripping from his mouth. "You okay?" Antonio asked as he looked around the corner. There was no sign of their suspect and he let out a loud curse. "All patrol, suspect is on foot, fleeing from 2600 Albany."

"I'm good." Jay answered, Antonio's head snapped towards him as he heard Jay's words. There was an unnatural gurgle in Jay's voice that made the hairs on the back of Antonio's neck stand up as his heart dropped. He stepped in front of Jay, giving him a second glance. There were several gashes on his face and sweat was dripping off of his face. Jay's face was completely devoid of all color.

"Let's sit you down, man." Jay just nodded, his head lolling slightly to the side. "Hey!" Antonio yelled as Jay's legs gave out from under him and he sank down to the floor in an uncoordinated heap.

"I-I'm okay." Jay's words were slurring as Antonio knelt down beside him. He coughed and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Jay tried to quiet the whimper of pain but couldn't. His entire rib cage felt like it had been shattered and getting air into his lungs was becoming more difficult with each breath. Antonio winced at the sad sound, knowing that was not a good sign.

"And I'm the Chief of Police." Antonio couldn't resist throwing back at him, hoping a little bit of humor might help Jay. Once he had gotten a better look at Jay, he knew that Jay was far from okay. He grabbed the radio on his shoulder, "I need an ambulance rolled to my location immediately. Officer needs assistance _now_." He let go of the radio and put both of his hands on Jay's face. Jay coughed again, sending blood flowing over his entire bottom lip.

"I, What-" Jay's voice came out as a whispered sigh as his eyes rolled back and his head flopped to the side. His face was so pale and Antonio could hear how much Jay was struggling to get the air into his lungs. It made Antonio really nervous and he knew that Jay probably had a punctured lung.

"Shit! Jay!" Antonio yelled as he lunged forward and broke Jay's fall so he didn't hit his head on the tile floor. He carefully arranged Jay on his side, remembering from somewhere, maybe his sister, that he wasn't supposed to put someone who wasn't breathing well on their back. "Where's the medic?" He screamed into the radio. He barely even heard the response, but knew that every minute they weren't here, the worse Jay would get.

"Can- Can I help?" The elderly lady who had been pressed up against the wall seemed to be finally coming out of shock.

"Do you have a blanket?" The lady nodded and hurried out of the room. She returned quickly with a hand knitted quilt. Her hands were shaking as she handed it over to Antonio. Antonio thanked her and covered Halstead with it as he laid a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Hang on buddy, the ambulance is coming." Jay's breaths were ragged and uneven and with every exhale, more blood dripped from his mouth.

* * *

Voight tried to quiet the panic that started running through his head as he heard Antonio call for an ambulance. He was finishing slapping handcuffs on Rolo. What had happened to Halstead? Was he shot? He hadn't heard a shot but it might have been silenced. He and Halstead might have a rocky relationship, but he still knew that Jay was a good detective and didn't deserve whatever had happened to him. Olinsky looked at him, his eyes wide with fear. It never left their minds that something could always go terribly wrong doing the jobs that they did, but it never made it easier when something did go wrong. They were such a tightly knit group and all cared for each other.

"Go." Voight nodded in the direction of the back door to Olinsky, who nodded and took off to go to Antonio. The guy in front of him wasn't going anywhere and Olinsky might be able to help Antonio with Jay or catch Munoz. Olinsky broke into a run as he headed out the back door and drifted around the corner, digging his heels into the ground as he saw a prone figure sprawled on the ground. He saw the unruly blond hair and knew without a doubt that it was Ruzek.

"Shit!" Olinsky grabbed for the radio he'd clipped to his belt. "I need another ambulance rolled to my location. Officer needs assistance." He slid onto his knees down beside Ruzek, the snowy, wet ground soaking through his pants instantly. In the dim glow from the street light, he could see the pool of blood that was spreading from under Ruzek's head. He glanced around the area and his eyes caught a bloody spot on the brick wall that was about Ruzek's spot and knew that Munoz had managed to slam Ruzek's head into the wall. Head injuries could be incredibly serious and since Ruzek was completely limp in front of him, Olinsky knew that it hadn't been a light tap on the head.

"What the hell?" Voight growled as he grabbed Rolo by the handcuffed wrists and drug him out the door. He shoved him roughly into the closest police car and slammed the door shut before rushing over to Ruzek. This was two of his officers that had been hurt by these scumbags. This was supposed to an easy recovery of Munoz, not this fiasco.

"I don't want to move him. It's his head." Olinsky's voice had an underlying tone of panic in it. He had one hand laid on Ruzek's back and the other on his neck, keeping an eye on his pulse. Ruzek's pulse was a little on the slow side but it was steady and that gave Olinsky some comfort. Ruzek might drive him absolutely insane sometimes, but he had a huge soft spot for him. Olinsky had yanked Ruzek out of the academy and brought him into Intelligence and he never doubted that he had made the right decision. Even when he was a cocky bastard, he was still good police.

"Okay, okay." Voight stood up, pressing his lips together tightly. Olinsky broke his gaze from Ruzek to look up at Voight. Rolo and his gang were going to pay for this. Olinsky knew that from the flames in Voight's eyes. It wouldn't be pretty and their bodies would never be found, but after tonight, they deserved nothing less.

* * *

Sumner felt overwhelming sadness. She hadn't been in this unit long, but she knew that everyone in it was a good detective and cared about them. She hadheard the two calls for ambulances but she couldn't leave Burgess. She had to reassure herself that everyone was in good hands and being taken care of so she could just focus in on Burgess.

"Do you want to sit down?" Sumner kept her voice quiet and calm. Burgess was still breathing really heavy and kept trying to hunch over. Burgess nodded meekly. It felt like someone had started a fire inside of her stomach. It made every tiny movement excruciating. She could barely hold her weight and she half collapsed on top of Sumner as she pushed away from the wall that she had been heavily leaning on.

Erin had gotten Nadia to the chair in the living room. Nadia was still sobbing, her pupils dilated from the cocaine, as she curled up in the chair. Erin quickly came over and grabbed Burgess's other arm, realizing that Sumner was all but carrying Burgess.

"God." Burgess moaned in pain as Sumner and Erin helped lower Burgess onto the couch. Burgess grabbed her stomach with both arms, wrapping her arms around her midsection as if she could hug the pain away. "Hurts so bad." She had wanted to prove herself so badly and this was not the way to do it. She had blown it tonight by letting Munoz get away.

"I need an ambulance rolled to my location." Erin grabbed her radio, calling for help. She had heard the calls for two other ambulances but she wasn't sure who else was injured right now. She knew that she needed to focus on Burgess.

"Another ambulance?" Voight asked into the radio as he took a steadying breath. He grabbed onto his bulletproof vest with both hands. He was ready to punch the brick wall in front of him but the rational part of his brain told him that wasn't going to make the situation better. "Is it Nadia?" He felt torn, he wanted to run to Erin but he wasn't sure he should leave Ruzek's side. He knew that Erin would not leave Burgess's side and Sumner could assist.

"No, Burgess." Erin replied as she sat down next to Burgess. "Something's wrong with her stomach." Voight grumbled a curse under his breath as he listened to Erin. This was the absolute worst case scenario. Not just one, not two, but three of his detectives and officers were injured to the point of needing medical attention.

* * *

"Where the hell are the ambulances?" Voight scanned the streets, straining his ears to listen for the sounds of sirens. It felt like an eternity had passed since they had called for the ambulances. It was as the ambulances had heard Voight and suddenly, sirens filled the air. Voight strode quickly to the road to flag down the ambulances.

"What do we have?" A blonde haired paramedic leapt out of the passenger seat, quickly snatching her bag from the back before running over to Voight. Her partner grabbed the gurney and was only a few steps behind her. They knew they were dealing with CPD and that always put an extra spring in their step.

"I have one down with a head wound in that alley way and another with a stomach injury in the house." Voight really didn't know the details but he gestured towards the house. The first two paramedics nodded and headed for the alley. A second set of paramedics were right behind the first set and they caught the tail end of the conversation. They moved immediately for the house. The third ambulance stopped and Voight rushed to them so they didn't pull out their equipment unnecessarily. "You guys are headed up the road. There will be a CPD car outside the house." The guy driving nodded and they took off to go help Jay. Olinsky backed up a few feet from Ruzek so that the paramedics could work on him. He tried to keep up with the medical jargon that was being thrown around but he didn't know enough of the words to keep up. He watched them strap a brace around Ruzek's neck and carefully rolled him onto a spinal board. Voight winced at the amount of blood on the snow but tried to remind himself that head wounds always bled the worst. The blonde paramedic ripped open Ruzek's sleeve and inserted an IV. They put an oxygen mask over his face and transferred him to the gurney.

"I'm coming with him." Olinsky followed the gurney as they started toward the ambulance. There wasn't much for them to do with a head injury in the field. The best thing was to get Ruzek into the Emergency Department and under a CT scanner to check for bleeding or swelling. Within the next minute, the ambulance containing Ruzek was flying away into the darkness. Olinsky had his hands clasped tightly together in between his legs as he watched the paramedic shine a light in Ruzek's eyes and take more vitals. He tried to keep his thoughts positive as they sped towards Chicago Med.

* * *

"Can you tell me what hurts?" The paramedic asked Burgess, keeping her voice soothing. Burgess just pointed at her belly with a shaking finger. She wasn't sure she could talk if she tried. The pain had gone from intense fire to feeling like fifty tire irons were being repeatedly stabbed into her stomach. "Okay, we're going to get you on the gurney and to the hospital." The gurney was lowered to the level of the couch so that all Burgess would have to do is slide over onto the gurney. Suddenly she lurched forward, unable to stop herself from vomiting on the floor. The paramedic tried to lean back but the vomit cascaded over the tops of her shoes. Burgess looked up with an apologetic and alarmed look in her eyes. "Don't even worry about it honey."

"There's blood." The other paramedic announced after she glanced down. It was never a good sign for there to be bright red blood vomit. "Let's get you to the hospital." Between the two of them, Erin, and Sumner, they got Burgess arranged on the gurney. They had already inserted an IV and handed the bag of fluids over to Sumner to hold as they transported Burgess out of the door and into the warm ambulance. They knew that the CPD officer in front of them was most likely bleeding internally and would need surgery as soon as possible.

"I-, it hurts." Burgess finally managed to splutter out. There was a line of blood coming from the side of her mouth. Her voice was raspy and had a harsh sound to it. Stacy quickly placed an oxygen mask on Burgess's face as Justine ran to the driver seat. Erin had climbed into the ambulance with Burgess, taking the bag of fluids from Sumner and hanging it on the IV pole. Sumner knew that there was not enough room for both of them and stepped back, closing the doors. Justine flipped the sirens on and swerved off into the cold Chicago night. Voight marched over next to Sumner as they exchanged a grim look. They knew that this was bad.

* * *

"In here!" Antonio saw the flashing lights of the ambulance and heard the doors slam. He knew that meant that the people who would save Jay had arrived.

"Hey! What happened to him?" The two men burst through the door, lugging the stretcher through the door with their bags loaded on top of it. They dropped down next to the downed detective and started evaluating him. The amount of blood trickling from his mouth was a bad sign. They cautiously positioned Jay on his back and started to examine him. They ripped his jacket and shirt off of him and Antonio let a gasp hiss through his teeth. Jay's chest was already turning a rainbow of colors and Antonio could see a depression on one side that made it very clear that he was not getting proper airflow.

"I need to intubate." The one said quietly to the other. Antonio's vision was starting to blur at the edges as he took the horrific scene that was in front of him. The paramedic had the tube set up and slid down Jay's throat in a matter of minutes. Antonio was sure his heart was going to fall out of his feet if it sank any lower. He knew what that tube meant. It meant that Jay couldn't even do the most basic thing on his own, breathe. It panicked him more than he thought was possible. If he had just rounded the corner a few seconds faster in the car or just followed Jay on foot, he might not have been a few minutes behind and this wouldn't be happening.

"Let's get him to the hospital." They carefully moved Jay onto a gurney as they hurried him out the door. Antonio ran behind them, helping them load the gurney before he jumped in. He wasn't letting Jay do this alone. He tried to press himself against the wall to stay out of the way as the paramedic shuffled around him, hooking Jay up to the various monitors. The other paramedic maintained Jay's airway while continuously pressing the bag that was Jay's lifeline right now. The first paramedic climbed behind the steering wheel and started the ambulance. He hit the sirens and they were speeding to the hospital.

Voight felt like his heart was crumbling as he saw the last ambulance come tearing around the corner and past him. There were three ambulances sprinting for Chicago Med, all containing one of his officers. It felt like ice was running through his veins as he rushed to follow the ambulances.

* * *

The next chapter will contain the hospital and recovery!


	2. Squiggly Line

A/N: So, I originally thought that this was just going to be a two-shot, but I think it might need to be a little bit longer. Hope that's okay! Also, thank you guys so much for the reviews and favoriting! I really appreciate it!

* * *

"Jay!" Will sprinted to the ambulance that contained his brother, his heart dropping at the sight of him. Blood was dripping from the side of Jay's mouth and down and over his chin. His face was pale and he was covered in sweat. Will snatched an edge of the gurney and ran inside with Jay and the paramedics. He couldn't tear his eyes off of Jay's face. The tube emerging from his mouth and the dark bruises that were forming scared him. He knew that he would get kicked out of the treatment room but he had to lay eyes on his brother. He had heard the call over the radio that there were several police officers needing medical attention and once the words Intelligence Unit had been spoken, had just known that one of them was Jay.

"Will, you need to leave. There are more police officers coming. They need you." Dr. Ethan Choi grabbed both of Will's shoulder and forced Will to look at him. He knew that Will wanted to be here for his brother, but he couldn't work on his own family member. Will that Ethan was speaking the truth but it didn't make it any easier to walk away from Jay.

"I, I can't leave him." Will quickly wiped his left eye, trying to hide the tear that threatened to escape. He wasn't much for crying but watching Jay look like that horrifying. "He's my brother."

"I know, but you can't work on him. Those other cops need you. You can help them. I will do anything and everything for Jay. You know that." Ethan stared into Will's eyes. Will didn't doubt that Ethan would give it everything he had, but walking away from his brother in this condition was like trying to stop himself from breathing.

"We need help over here!" A paramedic yelled as he burst through the doors, pushing a gurney in front of him. Will thought his heart couldn't drop any lower but it sank down further as he recognized the officer on the gurney. It was Adam, a close friend of Jay's, and a fellow member of his unit. There was blood coating the side of his face, matting his hair to his head. There was an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and his eyes were closed.

"I've got him!" Will made a split second decision. He gave Jay one last glance as he sprinted from the room, heading to help Adam. He wasn't one for praying but he let out a silent prayer that Jay was going to be okay. He had heard the initial report about what was wrong with Jay and Jay was facing a rough road ahead of him. "What have you got?" He asked the paramedic once he was next to the gurney.

"Adam Ruzek. He appears to have had his head slammed into a brick wall. He hasn't woken up since the injury." Will recognized the older man who was hovering near Adam's head, Al. If Will remembered correctly, Al was Adam's partner. Maggie instructed them to head to Trauma 2 and they wheeled Adam into the room. He was quickly transferred over to a hospital bed and the paramedics got out of the way.

"Page the neuro on call." Will took a look at the numbers that were appearing on the monitor that Adam was hooked up to. He felt some relief that Adam's numbers were steady. He pulled away the gauze that the paramedics had put on the wound during transit. The cut would require stitches. Will was happy to see the bleeding was starting to slow. Will asked the nurse for a suture kit and one was handed to him. Twelve stitches later, the cut was closed and dressed. Will really wanted to get Adam for a scan of his head so that he would know if there was bleeding inside of his head. "Let's get him down to CT. I want to know what's going on inside that head." The nurse nodded and within a few minutes, Adam was being wheeled down to get a scan of his head.

* * *

"She just passed out!" The paramedics came rushing in the doors with yet another police officer. Maggie felt numb. This was an absolute nightmare. She recognized the officer on the stretcher. Kim was often in the emergency room for cases and had a soft spot for women and kids. She had gone above and beyond on multiple occasions. Dr. Connor Rhodes ran to the gurney and got a look. He didn't remember her by name but knew that she was good police. "The detective on scene told me that she was kicked and beaten. She was alert until we made it here. She vomited blood on the scene."

"I need ultrasound in here." Connor started shouting out some commands, knowing this was probably going to be an emergency surgery. "Find out her blood type and let's get some units of blood hanging immediately." Her blood pressure was rocky and her heart rate was through the roof. "Give her 4 milligrams of morphine." He had a sinking feeling she had internal bleeding.

"Here's the ultrasound!" April Saxton came barging into the room with the machine. They cut off the rest of Kim's dress and she winced at the sight in front of her. The entirety of her stomach was a giant bruise. It was obvious that whoever had gotten a hold of her had done a number on her.

"Her spleen has ruptured." Connor's eyes darted all around the ultrasound screen as he made sure he didn't miss anything. He hovered over her stomach since she had vomited blood but he was happy he didn't see any obvious signs of bleeding from the stomach. "We need to get her into the OR right now. We can explore more once we're there." April and the rest of the nurses in the room started grabbing equipment and unhooking it from the wall. "Get me an OR room!" He raced from the room to get prepped for the surgery.

* * *

"Left lung has completely collapsed." Ethan held an X-ray up to the light to see the large white mass which meant that there was no air flow in Jay's left lung. "Set me up for a chest tube!" The nurse brought the items over quickly and Ethan dabbed the area with iodine to get prepare the area.

"His blood pressure is dropping." One of the nurses informed Ethan as she saw the numbers getting lower and lower. Jay's blood pressure was in the toilet and only going down. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but Jay's face had gotten a shade lighter since he had been brought into the room. His face was so pale, that the white sheet he was lying on looked darker than his face.

"Give him 5 milligrams of morphine." Ethan knew that the only way to get Jay's blood pressure up was to get the chest tube in and relieve the pressure. Even unconscious, chest tubes were excruciatingly painful. Ethan took a deep breath and pressed the knife against Jay's side. Within five minutes, Ethan had the chest tube placed properly. He sighed in relief as he saw Jay's blood pressure start to rise as blood poured from the tube and out of Jay's collapsed lung. Suddenly, an alarm started blaring and a wiggly, crazy line appeared where the steady blip of a heart rate had been only a few seconds before. "Shit! We're not losing him. Bring me the crash cart!" Ethan's voice grew in volume as he bellowed out the commands. He was not going to let Jay die. A nurse jumped up and started compression on Jay's chest.

"Crash cart!" Another nurse came flying into the room with the cart in front of her. Everyone in the hospital had heard the call about the three officers coming and all available nurses and doctors had flooded into the ER to see if they could help.

"Push a milligram of epi!" Ethan felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "Paddles!" He held out his hands. "Charge to 220." Protective pads were placed on Jay's chest and Ethan placed the paddles on his chest. "Clear!" He waited until he was sure that no one was touching the bed and pressed the button. Jay's chest arched off the bed and flopped back. Ethan looked up hopefully at the monitor. The monitor still showed a crazy squiggle that meant that Jay's heart wasn't doing anything functional. "Charge to 240!" He waited until the paddles were charged and pressed them against Jay's chest. He hit the button and Jay's chest arched again. The monitor stopped blaring and there was a steady blip across the screen. Ethan sighed and felt his knees buckle with the relief of seeing Jay's heartbeat return to normal. He checked the placement of the chest tube and was satisfied that it was secured in the right place. "Let's get him to CT to check his head and chest." Ethan watched the nurses push Jay out of the room and he sat down on the chair in the room, taking a second to comprehend what had just happened. He wasn't letting Jay die, not on his watch.

* * *

Voight all but threw Rolo at the first responding patrol unit, instructing them to put him in the cage and not to touch him. He had special plans for Rolo once he knew everyone on his team was okay. His brain was so focused in on his team; he almost forgot that Nadia was still inside. He bolted inside of the house and saw her, still curled up in the chair. He felt a pang in his heart as he got a good look at Nadia. He winced when he saw Erin in that chair instead of Nadia. He remembered all too well the signs of Erin riding out a high, her pupils huge and unfocused.

"Nadia?" He spoke gently, brushing a few pieces of hair out of Nadia's face. He knew that she had done the team a huge service by snorting the cocaine. It might have saved both her and Kim's lives but he also knew that Nadia had just gotten clean. "Let's get to the hospital." Nadia just nodded, blinking as her head fell forward. Nadia managed to get her feet underneath her. Voight all but carried her out to the car. Sumner was waiting by the passenger side and rushed to help Voight. They quickly piled in Voight's truck and sped off into the night for the hospital.

"Where is my team?" Voight spotted Maggie almost immediately and strode quickly over to her. Sumner had helped Nadia from the truck and was leading her towards a room, following the nurse. He wanted answers about his officers and he wanted them now. He heard alarms blaring from a room and tried to go see who it was but Maggie stepped in front of him firmly. Maggie knew that Hank didn't need to go run in there. He didn't need to see Jay being resuscitated. Voight tried to step around Maggie once but Maggie stared him down. She held her hand against his chest and firmly stood her ground until the alarm quieted. Jay was wheeled from the room as Voight looked on in horror. There was a tube coming from Halstead's mouth and blood coated his chin. His face was whiter than the snow that had just fallen and there was a second tube that emerged from the side of his chest. He felt like he couldn't even get a breath in as he took in the sight of Jay. Maggie couldn't even imagine the pain that Voight must be feeling.

"Listen to me Hank." Maggie kept her hand against his chest, trying to get him to focus back on her. "He's in the best hands. Dr. Rhodes won't give up on him." Voight nodded as he let out the breath he didn't realize that he was holding. Voight was normally stoic and unemotional but he was barely holding it together right now. He felt like his heart had fallen out on the floor. He kept his arms crossed over his chest to try to calm his racing heartbeat and pressed his lips tightly together. His eyes were still fixated on the doors that Jay had disappeared through. He didn't know how they were going to recover from this but he had to remember that he had the strongest cops in the entire police department in his unit.


	3. Heart Beat Rise and Fall

A/N: Well, the roads here are covered in ice, so I have some extra time off work… which means, more time to write! Thanks for the reviews and follows!

* * *

It was like someone had backed over his head with a tow truck. He felt like he had a hangover on steroid but he didn't remember drinking last night. He groaned as he tried to sit up. He needed to get water and aspirin.

"Hey Ruzek, don't move." Ruzek furrowed his brow at the sound of that voice. He knew that voice but why was Al in his apartment? "You're in the hospital." Well, that cleared up one thing, but why was he in the hospital? He struggled to try to recall what had put him in the hospital but was drawing a blank.

"What happened?" Ruzek tried to open his eyes, but the second that the light hit his eyes, there was a white lightning flare of pain and he shut his eyes again immediately. "Ouch." He winced as the pounding increased.

"Hang on." There was the sound of a chair scooting back, quiet footsteps, and a click of a light switch. There were a few more footsteps and Ruzek heard the curtain slide over the window. "You're in the hospital because you kissed a brick wall with your head. You've got twelve stitches in your head and a horrible concussion. If you weren't so hardheaded, you'd have a skull fracture."

"How long have I been out?" Ruzek carefully brought the palm of his head against the side of his face as he opened his eyes again. He was grateful for the darkness. Waves of nausea were washing over him. This was definitely not his first concussion, but this was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before.

"You've been out for three days. We were just starting to get worried." Olinsky tried to chuckle but it came out more like a strangled cry. Olinksy had aged fifty years in the last seventy-two hours he'd been in this hospital. Three of his friends and co-workers had been left clinging to life. Ruzek gave a thumbs up, guessing that nodding his head was going to be a bad idea.

"My head is killing me." Ruzek hated to own up to the pain but it felt like his head had been used in the boxing ring for a week. He hoped that he could get some pain relief and maybe something for the nausea.

"I'll get the doctor. I'm going to let the rest of the team know that you're awake." Olinsky squeezed Ruzek's shoulder before walking from the room. He'd been extremely worried about Ruzek not waking up but Will had assured him that Ruzek's brain was healing.

* * *

"Ruzek's awake!" Olinsky announced happily as he strode into the waiting room area. The room was full of the Intelligence Unit members except for Ruzek, Halstead, and Burgess. "His head's hurting but there was some color in his cheeks." A round of cheers went up. That was some of the best news they had gotten in the past few days.

"I'll go check on him." Erin bounced up from her chair. There hadn't been many updates for Jay or Kim and she thought she was going to go crazy from sitting in this waiting area. She had rotated out sitting with all three of her friends and teammates but she hated being in the hospital, even as a visitor, and was ready for her friends to all be going home.

"Hey. Where are you with Rolo?" Olinsky had been sitting with Ruzek for almost six hours and wanted to latest update. Voight had left the hospital for a few hours to head back to the district.

"He's trying to play the tough guy." Voight's normally gravelly voice was deeper. He was pissed and wanted to beat the answers from Rolo but the Ivory Tower had jumped in and was demanding this case be done by the book so that no one had any potential to walk away at the end of the day. There were three Chicago Police Officers that were had been put in critical condition at the hospital. "He's refused to give up anything on Munoz's location."

"You'll get it from him." Olinsky had complete confidence that Hank wasn't going to let Munoz get away with what he had done.

* * *

"Ethan, why isn't he waking up?" Will was trying not to get desperate as he stared at the pale face of his brother. Jay was the brother who kept it together, not Will, and Will was struggling to stay calm, especially without Jay. It was hard to see the tube that came from Jay's mouth and see all of the monitors that were hooked to his body. Will had used the same machines hundreds of times on his patients but seeing them on his brother made his gut twist.

"Will, his body took a very severe beating. You know better than most people that it takes time. His body is recovering from trauma." Ethan understood that Will was the concerned brother, not an Emergency Medical attending right now. He just hoped that Will could use his medical knowledge to hold himself together.

"It's been three days." Will looked at the clock on the wall. It was getting closer to three and a half days now since Jay had entered the hospital. "He's not attempting to breathe over the vent." Will knew that every day that Jay spent on the vent put him at increased risk for more complications.

"We took him off the sedative yesterday but you know it can take time before he's completely out from under it." Ethan looked at the chart he held. He, himself, had administered the medication that would reverse the sedation but he still re-checked the time.

"I know!" Will almost shouted, a little more forcefully than he meant to. Ethan stepped back with his hands up, showing he meant no harm. Will sighed and sank down into the chair next to Will. "I'm sorry. I'm just, lost." Ethan knelt down next to Will. He knew that this had to be extremely tough for Will.

"He's going to make it. Jay's a tough son of a bitch and he's not letting a collapsed lung take him." Will gave him a tiny smile as he nodded, looking over at Jay.

"You heard Adam woke up?" Will changed the topic. He couldn't help but be a little bit jealous. He had checked in on Adam multiple times and each time, the cop was improving. Will wanted Jay to be on the uphill with Adam. He was pleased that Adam was already asking when he could go home, but he wanted to hear Jay complain that he wanted to be sleeping in his own bed.

"Yea, I know his head has got to be hurting." Ethan shook his head. He'd peeked in on Adam yesterday and the multicolored bruise that had spread out from Will agreed and the two fell into silence, watching the line of Jay's heart beat rise and fall on the monitor.

* * *

There was an annoying beep in the background and Kim flailed her arm out, trying to find her phone to turn her alarm off. It was like her head was in a fog. She couldn't seem to find her alarm and it confused her. She managed to pry her eyes open and stopped her movements when she didn't recognize her surroundings immediately. She quickly realized that she was in the hospital and looked over to see Sumner smiling at her.

"Hey!" Sumner leapt to her feet, grinning as she pressed a button on the side of the bed. She had been probably played over two hundred levels of her latest phone game, Toy Blast. "Glad to see you awake!"

"Hey," Kim winced, she was sure that someone had rubbed sandpaper in her throat with as raw as it felt. "I remember getting in an ambulance and it's a big blank after that." She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. If the board on the wall that gave her current nurses and the date was correct, she'd been out for almost four days.

"Yea, you passed out when we got to the Emergency Room. Your spleen ruptured but the doctor fixed it. You had a tube to help you breathe for a little bit. That's why your throat is so sore." Sumner didn't want to overwhelm Kim with the details but gave her a brief rundown of what had happened.

"Officer Burgess, how are you feeling?" Connor walked into the room, grabbing some hand sanitizer at the door. He had been ecstatic to get the page that Kim Burgess had woken up.

"I'm pretty sore." Kim gave Connor her best attempt at a smile. Her whole stomach was full of fire. She closed her eyes for a second and shuddered as she saw Munoz stomping on her stomach. She had tried to curl up and get away from him, but the bathtub had left her no place to hide.

"I can give you something for the pain." Connor was happy to see the officer awake. He had stuck around after his last shift and had ended up sleeping in one of the on-call rooms at the hospital. He couldn't bring himself to leave. "I'd like to look at your incisions." Kim nodded and Connor snapped on a pair of gloves. He quickly assessed the wound and was pleased to see no signs of redness or swelling. It meant that there was no infection presenting. "Other than some nasty bruising, your incision is healing nicely!"

"Thanks." Kim was glad to hear that. At least she could chalk up the pain to her body healing. She braved a glance down and let out a quiet curse. As far as she could see was covered in bruises. There was a large cut on her left side and Kim could count 8 shiny metal staples that were holding her skin together. That was going to be a wicked scar in a few months. She was glad for whatever pain medication was already coursing through her veins because if there was this much pain with the medication, she didn't want to imagine the pain without the medication. "When can I go home?"

"You cops are all the same!" Connor laughed. He had yet to treat a cop that wasn't chomping at the bit to get home. "You'll be here for a few more days while we monitor your recovery but you'll be home soon." He patted Kim's hand and walked to the door. "A nurse will bring that pain medication to you in a minute. I'm glad you're awake!" He repeated and left the room. Kim gave Sumner a genuine smile as the nurse walked in with a syringe.

"This will probably make you sleepy. " The nurse cautioned as she swabbed the access point on the IV that was hooked up to Kim's elbow. Kim had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She'd been asleep for the last four days. "I know, more sleep seems silly but it's the best way for your body to heal." Kim nodded and let her eyes close. It didn't take long for the medication to work its way into her system and she was asleep within five minutes.


	4. Can't Wait to Return to Normal

A/N: Thank you again for all the support on this story! Also, did anyone catch tonight's Chicago Fire?! OMG!

* * *

"I'll tell you one thing," Burgess groaned as she carefully swung her feet over the side of the hospital bed, "I'm never going to complain about period cramps again!" Burgess joked as slowly stood up, wincing but trying to keep it lighthearted. The pain in her stomach was finally, slowly starting to fade and mostly felt like an intense tugging in her stomach now but she would never forget the excruciating pain when her spleen had ruptured. She would be really glad once the staples in her stomach were gone.

"Remember, you went through a huge trauma and you are healing." The physical therapist quietly coached the police officer. She could only imagine how hard it was to go for the officer to go from chasing criminals to being confined to a hospital bed. Burgess just nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. The therapist was just trying to make her feel better but Burgess was beyond ready to be back to her normal self. She wanted to get back out on patrol and into her routine. The therapist held onto one of Burgess's arms as they made their way towards the door of Burgess's room. She glanced at her watch to check the time. They had been walking a little bit further and longer every day.

"Well, look who decided to stop lazing around!" Atwater greeted Burgess with his normal cheeky smile as he sauntered towards Burgess. Burgess held up her first threateningly with a pretend scowl on her face. Atwater let out a loud laugh as he fell into stride next to Burgess. It made his heart feel a hundred times lighter seeing his partner up and walking around. "You gotta hurry back to patrol. I'm tired of the luck of the draw partners!"

"I'll keep that in mind next time I get the shit beaten out of me." Burgess replied jokingly. "As soon as they'll let me out of here, I'm ready!" She knew it would be a few more weeks before she would be allowed to return to full duty but she couldn't wait. She turned and looked at the physical therapist, who was taking in the conversation with a small smile, "I know, I know, it won't be an instant return to work." The therapist just smiled and nodded her head. After almost twenty minutes of walking, Burgess knew her body was done at this time and the therapist helped steer her back towards bed.

* * *

"Please just open your eyes Jay." Erin pleaded with the unconscious man in front of her. She was sitting in the uncomfortable chair and had her feet planted firmly on the ground and her hands were pressed together, resting against her lips. "We are partners and we are in this together." Erin wanted to kill Jay sometimes because he drove her so damn crazy, but she couldn't imagine ever getting in the 300 and looking at the passenger seat and it being anyone but Jay. She couldn't see her life without Jay across from her at her desk. Jay just had to wake up and had to be okay. She was determined to keep believing that Jay was going to wake up.

"Hey." Ruzek quietly slipped into the room, taking in the sight of his fallen teammate with sad eyes. "Any changes?" He mindlessly reached for the hospital bracelet he hadn't taken off and fiddled with it, spinning it around his wrist. He'd been discharged about three hours ago but he had refused to leave the hospital. He had joined everyone else who was rotating out in the waiting area.

"Hey!" Erin got to her feet and threw her arms around Ruzek. The last time she had seen Ruzek, he'd still been in his hospital gown. He looked almost normal now in his button up flannel, jeans, and boots. The only thing that signaled that anything was out of place was the bruising across his forehead and the stitches that stood out against his pale complexion. "Good to see you! There haven't been any changes."

"You know, Erin, if I'd just taken care of that scumbag in the alley, he wouldn't have made it to Jay." Adam said softly, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging. He had an insane amount of guilt that if he had just taken Munoz down in the alley, Jay wouldn't have gotten hurt. His job was to take down the bad guys and this one had gotten by him. If he'd just done his damn job, Jay wouldn't be lying here in the hospital bed.

"Woah, Adam, no, this is not in any way, shape, or form your fault. You have to believe that. This was not your fault." Erin grabbed both of Ruzek's shoulders and forced him to look at her eyes. She could see how guilty he felt by looking at his face but there was nothing he could have done. She hugged him again and Ruzek nodded. Erin felt sad for Ruzek, knowing that if Jay didn't wake up, Ruzek would never be able to forgive himself. This was an incredibly tough spot to be in and while Ruzek had done everything right, Jay had still gotten hurt.

"Hey guys." Will joined the two in the room, looking at his brother sadly. It made Will physically hurt every time he laid eyes on his brother. His brain was on a one-track mind and all he could think about was his brother. Fortunately, Goodwin had helped get all of his shifts covered so that he could sit with his brother. Will was grateful for everyone stepping up. He just wanted his brother to be okay. He was grateful most of the time for his medical training and that he could understand what was going on in front of him. Sometimes, he wished he could just be like any other innocent patient's family and not be thinking of all the complications and statistics he had learned in medical school.

"Hey Will." Erin gave Will a hug before they all settled in together, sitting in a comfortable silence. They felt a little bit of comfort to seeing Jay's chest rise and fall, even if it was being calculated by the tube down Jay's throat.

* * *

"I'm getting real tired of asking the same question." Voight's gruff voice was full of frustration and anger as he sat across from Rolo. His arms were across his chest tightly and his foot was tapping against the floor. Rolo's hands were handcuffed behind his back and his feet were chained to the chair. They had traded out who was interrogating Rolo for the past few hours.

"I'm getting real tired of giving you the same answer." Rolo answered snarkily, trying to mock Voight. Voight slammed his fists down on the table. What he really wanted to do was take this absolute piece of shit down to the cage and show him what happened to someone who dared hurt his team, but that wasn't going to happen with an attorney here.

"We're giving you one last time to give up his location. We can work out a deal for you if you just tell us where he is." ASA Stone wanted nothing less than to give this guy a deal but he'd been authorized to give him one if Rolo gave up Munoz. Rolo just shook his head vehemently. He knew he'd be a dead man if he gave up the location of Munoz.

"I'm not a snitch." Rolo squared his jaw, looking Voight dead in the eyes. Rolo had worked too damn hard to get where he was to become a snitch. Voight growled and launched himself across the table, prepared to strangle the life out of Rolo. ASA Stone reacted quickly and grabbed Voight before he could lay a hand on Rolo. Rolo laughed manically as Stone and Olinsky, who rushed in, managed to wrangle Voight through the door and down the hallway before they let go of him.

"There is a son of a bitch out there who put three of my people in the fucking hospital. One who might never wake up again and that bastard knows where he is! That fucking bastard fucking knows!" Voight screamed, his face turning bright red as he pointed towards the interrogation room that held Rolo. He wanted to storm back in to the room and pull Rolo apart piece by piece until he gave them an answer.

"Hey. I know that, but this isn't going to fix things." Olinsky had a hand against Voight's chest as he nodded to ASA Stone. Voight's chest was heaving with his anger and frustration. He normally was a stoic and tight lipped individual, but with three of his team members in the hospital had thrown that out the window. Stone walked away, knowing that Olinsky had a better chance of calming Voight down than he did.

"I want that piece of shit in custody and to pay for what he's done!" Voight's voice was still elevated, a vein popping on his temple. He hadn't slept in days and he knew he wasn't going to be able to close his eyes until Munoz was in custody. He was livid that Jay hadn't woken up and that there was a chance he wouldn't wake up. He was pissed every time he saw the bruising and cut down Ruzek's face. He was furious that Burgess had needed to be cut open to fix the damage done.

"You don't think that I want that too?" Olinsky lowered his voice further. He knew that Voight was just venting and angry but if they couldn't pull it back together, they'd be yanked completely off the case. "I want to wipe Munoz off the face of the planet and make sure that no one ever finds him down the hole we put him down but that's not how this is going to work. We _will_ find him." Olinsky had no plans on ever stopping the search for Munoz until he was found. Voight nodded as he finally took a deep breath. His phone started ringing and Voight reluctantly pulled it from his pocket, not wanting to take his focus away from the case. He held the phone up to his ear, hoping that whoever was calling him better have a damn good reason.

"You need to get down to the hospital."


	5. Nightmare

A/N: I'm sorry I went so long without updating! I had the stomach bug and then the flu so I've been out of commission for almost two weeks! I'm still fighting having not a lot of energy so please let me know about spelling/grammar issues. Long Road Ahead is next!

* * *

"What's going on?" Voight demanded as he jogged into the ICU with Olinsky on his heels. Ethan and several nurses were gathered around Jay's bed while most of his team was huddled together outside of Jay's room. Everyone had grim looks on their faces as they looked towards Jay's bed. Erin had called him and told him that Jay was awake. Voight had immediately gotten into his truck and driven over here expecting a joyous scene, not the nightmare that was unfolding in front of him.

"Well he woke up, but he couldn't breathe." Erin's couldn't tear her eyes from Jay. She had been so elated when she'd called Voight and let him know that Jay was awake. Jay had finally opened his eyes but everything had gone downhill so quickly. The alarms had started blaring and his eyes had rolled back before Ethan had burst into the room and pushed everyone out so he could work.

"Why can't he breathe?" Voight's voice rose in volume as he tried to peer around the nurses to see Jay. He'd been so optimistic with Erin's phone call and had fully expected to walk in to see Jay sitting up with some color to his cheeks.

"They haven't said yet." Erin's voice was full of despair as she crossed her arms tighter across her chest. It felt like an eternity before Ethan stepped away from the bed and came out of the room. They could see that Jay was being intubated again.

"Damn it." Olinsky muttered under his breath. He had been a detective for a long time but he'd never seen something like this happen. He couldn't wait to get back to Rolo and get some real answers out of him. He didn't care what it took to the get the answers, but that son-of-a-bitch Munoz had put his partner and two members of his unit in the hospital and he would pay.

"What happened?" Will Halstead asked the second that Ethan slid the door shut behind him. A million different ideas had been racing through his head and he needed an answer immediately. His medical knowledge was a curse right now. He could only think of at least two hundred diseases that Jay might have contracted and the prognoses for some of them were very slim.

"Jay's come down with double lung pneumonia. We had been monitoring for this but unfortunately pneumonia can come on quickly." Ethan hated giving bad news to any patient's family but it was always harder to give bad news to a friend and colleague. Pneumonia in a patient who had suffered massive lung trauma was always scary.

"What are you treating him with?" Will ran both of his hands through his hair as he took a steadying breath. It felt like such a massive punch to the gut. He had felt like his heart was soaring before when he'd seen Jay's eyes open and it had all come crashing down around him in the next heartbeat.

"We're double dosing him with Keflex and Doxycycline." Ethan had made the decision to hit the pneumonia with two strong antibiotics to give Jay's body more of an assist in fighting the pneumonia. Will nodded his head in agreement. Jay had already been fighting so hard to recover and this was an enormous setback.

"Will he be okay?" Erin felt like her heart was tearing as she looked at Jay and saw that tube emerging from his mouth. The blissful few minutes he had been without the tube seemed like a distant memory already.

"He's a fighter. The antibiotics will help him fight. We'll get another chest x-ray tomorrow to see how well the medications are helping him." Ethan loathed that he didn't have anything else to tell the group but with pneumonia, it was a wait-and-see fight. They gave Jay antibiotics and would monitor him closely but there was no surgery or magic fix for pneumonia.

"Can we sit with him again?" Erin had no plans to leave the hospital or Jay's side until he was awake and ready to leave the hospital. Ethan nodded with a small smile. At least Jay had a great support system. Erin slipped in through the glass door and took a seat next to Jay. His face was pale and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. She sighed as she got settled in the chair and pulled out her phone to text Ruzek an update. He'd been forced home to get some rest late last night but she wanted to keep him updated. After finishing her text, she grabbed the book she'd found in the gift shop downstairs. She never had time to just read a book but the long hours of waiting left her with plenty of time on her hands. The irony was that Jay had told her that she needed to find more time to do the things that made her happy.

* * *

"Hey, is it okay if I come in?" Antonio knocked on Burgess's open door. She was finally getting released after nine long days in the hospital. It was one less weight hanging on everyone's heart knowing that two of the three injured were home.

"Of course!" Burgess smiled as she turned from where she was shoving the last few items into her overnight bag. The doctor had come in this morning and removed the staples in her stomach. She'd been given almost a thirty minute lecture on the importance of not overdoing it before being allowed to sign her discharge papers. There was an extensive list of things she was not allowed to do and she still faced several weeks of intense recovery.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that you did a fantastic job. You stepped up when it mattered." Antonio wanted to make sure that Burgess knew that she had done well, even with the total chaos that had followed. A huge grin spread over her face and she bashfully dropped her eyes to the ground.

"Thank you so much. That means a lot." Burgess couldn't stop smiling. It was a honor to get praise from detectives, especially the ones that Burgess hoped to be working alongside one day. She had worked her butt off from the first day she was in the academy and had no plans on stopping until she was a detective in Intelligence.

"I meant it. You did great. If you need anything once you get home, let me know." Antonio gave Burgess a smile before walking out. He had a feeling that she would be in the same unit as him one day.

"You ready?" Atwater gave Burgess a huge grin as he entered her room only a few second after Antonio had left, pushing the wheelchair in front of him. He had already made three trips to the car to cart out the flowers and cards that had filled Burgess's room. He was thrilled that Platt had re-arranged the schedules so that he could be the one to take Burgess home. He couldn't wait for his partner to be able to ride with him again.

"Oh my God, yes!" She would have done a cartwheel if she was able to, "I'm capable of walking." Burgess grumbled under her breath as she climbed into the wheelchair. She gave the room one final glance. She wouldn't miss this room and the smell of the hospital. She was excited to get to sleep in her own bed with her soft sheets and her familiar pillows. She was planning on taking a long shower with her favorite body wash to get off the hospital gunk as soon as she got home.

"Let's roll!" Atwater pushed Burgess out of the room and towards the elevator. Burgess gingerly climbed into the passenger seat of the car and they were off. "Do you want to stop and get anything? I cleaned out your fridge yesterday because a bunch of it had gone bad." He spared her the details of the fuzzy mold that had started to grow on one of the Chinese takeout containers. He'd also pitched out the bananas that were more black than yellow.

"Hey thanks, Kevin!" Burgess hadn't even thought about the stuff in her fridge. "I guess, can we stop at a grocery store?" She looked out the window as they drove down familiar streets. It was almost like they were patrolling on a normal day. They pulled into a small grocery store and Burgess picked out a few things and some freezer meals. She didn't want to have to leave her apartment for a few days while she recovered. She wasn't cleared to drive yet and walking the few blocks to the store didn't sound like a good idea. Luckily there wasn't a long check out line and Atwater grabbed the bags before Burgess could even reach for them. "Thanks." She knew arguing with him wasn't even worth it.

"Anything I can do?" Atwater asked as he finished putting all of the groceries in Burgess's fridge and freezer. Burgess had gotten settled on the couch. She hated to admit it but she was exhausted from the simple trip to the store and coming home. She would probably turn the television on to some bad sitcom and pass out once Atwater headed out. She had already set an alarm on her phone to make sure she woke up to take her antibiotics.

"I'm good." Burgess gave Atwater a grateful smile. She was incredibly thankful to have such a great partner. "Go! I know you have to get to work!" She looked at the clock on the wall and knew that Atwater would be cutting it close to being on time for roll call.

"Hey, you call me if you need _anything_." Atwater emphasized the word anything so that Burgess knew that he meant it. He was dead serious that he'd be over here in half a second if she needed him.

"I will. Thank you again. Go!" She made a shooing motion towards the door. She didn't want him to be late on her account. Atwater gave her one last wave and disappeared through the door. It was great to see her back in her apartment. Now, they just had to get Jay home.


	6. Captured

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and support! How did everyone feel about that episode last week?

* * *

"Okay! Okay!" Rolo cowered away from Voight. Voight and Olinsky had stormed into the precinct and threw Rolo down into the cage, ignoring protests they got from the commander. They didn't care anymore and they were going to get answers, regardless of the consequences.

"Okay?" Voight questioned, his fist hovering two inches from Rolo's face. Olinsky was standing guard by the door. He knew that Voight wouldn't spare Rolo from any of the pain he deserved.

"I'll tell you where Munoz is!" Rolo shrunk down, trying to avoid being hit again. He wasn't a snitch but he wasn't a fan of pain and the blows he'd taken from the detective had swayed him quickly. Every punch that Voight had delivered had felt like a sledgehammer and he wanted that to end.

"Start talking." Voight growled as he grabbed onto Rolo's shirt with both of his hands. Voight could see the fear in his eyes. Rolo had tried to play this tough guy act up but Voight knew that sooner or later, Voight would find a way to break him.

"He, he likes to hole up at this underground club. It's off 211th and it's called Amor's." Rolo spit out quickly. He flinched when Voight tightened his grip on his shirt. "I swear!" He yelled as Voight's face got closer to his face.

"If you lied, you'll be alive to regret every last second of your miserable life." Voight whispered threateningly, his face mere centimeters from Rolo's. Rolo knew that Voight meant every word of what he said.

"I promise! That's where he likes to hide!" Rolo's voice had gone up several octaves. He was dripping with sweat and shaking hard. Voight released his grip on Rolo's shirt and Rolo slid to the ground, curling up into a little ball. Voight slammed the door of the cage behind him and walked over to Olinsky.

"Get everyone here. We're taking this son of a bitch down, now." Voight wiped his hands clean as he walked by Olinsky and threw the door open. Olinsky nodded and followed him out, already texting the ASAP message to everyone. It only took Erin, Antonio, and Atwater half an hour to appear at his door.

"For today, Atwater, you're Intelligence." Voight pointed at Atwater. Burgess was his partner and Voight knew that he cared deeply for her so he would give this everything he got. Voight already had his eye on him for Intelligence and he definitely wanted to see how he handled something like this.

"Yes sir." Atwater gave him a nod and stood up a little bit taller. He definitely hoped to be able to be invited upstairs one day but he knew that this was temporary. He was grateful that Voight was giving him the opportunity to catch the man who had harmed his partner.

"All right, we're heading here." Voight pointed at the photo of the front of the club. It was a seedy and dilapidated place. "We've been given intel that Munoz is hiding here. We will be accompanied by SWAT due to the highly dangerous nature of this man. I don't give two shits if he returns in one piece, but unfortunately, we don't have a choice but to bring him back. He _will_ be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and he will never be a free man again." Voight was still bitter he couldn't deal with Munoz in his own way but there was no option to just disappear with him. He had a tiny bit of solace that there was no way that he could possibly wiggle his way out of this.

"We'll get him." Antonio's eyes narrowed as he looked the photo of Munoz on the board. He hoped to be able to at least get one punch in. Voight nodded in agreement.

"We leave in twenty." Voight said as he turned to go back to his office. SWAT was assembling and prepping now and they'd meet at the club. He was more than ready to have Munoz in handcuffs. The twenty minutes flew by and Voight emerged from his office. Everyone got to their feet, grabbed their coats and followed Voight.

"Hank." SWAT Team Leader Gunther held his hand out for Voight to shake. Voight shook it and looked towards the front of the building. "We won't let this son of a bitch get away. Hell, if I can swing it, I'll give you five minutes alone." Gunther had worked with Voight for a long time and respected him but knew exactly what he was capable of.

"Thanks." Voight had a feeling that there wouldn't be a chance for this but he was glad Gunther had offered. The team split up and they stormed in.

"Get on the floor!" Erin screamed as she rounded the first corner. There were several scantily clad women loitering around with a group of men. The men reached for their weapons but put their hands up in the air quickly seeing the SWAT team backing up Erin. They all slowly slid down on the floor and SWAT handcuffed them all. They could sort out who was who when they got back to the precinct.

"We got him!" Atwater's voice rang through the radio, full of glee and joy. Munoz was shoved facedown onto the ground as his arms were wrenched behind his back to be handcuffed. Voight's lips were turned up in a rare smile as he jerked Munoz onto his feet.

"You fucked with the wrong people." Voight whispered in his ear, sending a small chill down Atwater's back. He knew that Voight meant those words beyond what lawyers and the DA's office could do.

"Fuck off." Munoz rolled his eyes. He didn't know who ratted him out but he planned on making them pay once he got out of jail. He had beaten rap after rap and he wasn't scared of some punk ass cop. Voight gave a low growl under his breath as he started to lead Munoz out of the door, casually letting him slam painfully into the frame on the way out. Munoz smirked the entire time he was put in the police car. Antonio had to stop himself from slamming Munoz's head in the door, over and over, just to wipe that smirk off of his face.

"You ain't getting off this time." Voight said as the door slammed, grabbing onto his bulletproof vest with both hands. He gave Munoz a tiny wave as the car pulled away, relishing in the nasty look on Munoz's face. Voight, Antonio, and Atwater watched the patrol car disappear, feeling a huge sense of relief that Munoz was finally in custody.

* * *

"Hey, any update?" Ruzek whispered as he entered Jay's room. It had been nine days since Jay had been diagnosed with pneumonia and there had been no improvements. They'd tried to start to wean Jay off the ventilator yesterday but he'd failed the first trial and Ethan wanted to wait for a little bit until he tried again.

"He's still the same." Antonio whispered back. He'd switched out with Erin a few hours ago. She had headed home to take a shower and a nap. Will was sitting in the other chair. He had flat refused to leave the hospital until Jay had woken up. Goodwin had placed Will on an extended leave until Jay was out of the woods.

"Damn it, Jay." Ruzek wished that the tube would miraculously be gone and Jay would be back to his old self. Ruzek's stitches were gone and he had officially been cleared to return to work. When he walked into the precinct tomorrow, it just wasn't going to be the same.

"He's going to wake up." Will sat up straighter in the chair. "He's just trying to extend the suspense." He said with a tiny smile. He was trying to remain optimistic.

"Ain't that the truth!" Antonio laughed as he looked at Jay. He'd been the one to bring Jay into the unit and could attest that Jay always liked to do things his own way. "I'm going to head out. Want my chair?" Antonio gestured to the chair beneath him. Ruzek nodded and traded places with Antonio. Antonio hated leaving Jay but they couldn't all be here and completely abandon their jobs so they had set up shifts to sit with Jay so he didn't wake up alone. He headed out of the room feeling like his heart was tugging him back. He hated leaving Jay behind in the condition he was in but he knew that he'd wake up.

* * *

"Jay?" Erin threw the blanket off of her lap and grabbed Jay's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. His eyes were tiny slits as his pupils moved from side-to-side, like he was trying to take in his surroundings. "Jay, you're in the hospital. You're okay." She felt her voice rising in volume. She was terrified that she was fooling herself but his eyes opened wider as he started to open his eyes more and focus in on her.

"Jay?" Will scrambled to his feet as he recovered from his initial shock. They had been waiting for Jay to wake up for what felt like a hundred years. It had been ten days since Jay had gone downhill and been diagnosed with pneumonia.

"Oh my God, Jay! It's Will." Will laid a hand on Jay's upper arm as his brother's eyes shifted to look at him. "Hey!" Jay's brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced back at Will. Jay tried to bring his free hand up to touch the tube that kept him from breathing. "No, don't touch that!"

"Jay, it's helping you breathe. You had a collapsed lung." Erin explained quickly. Jay gave a miniscule nod that he understood and he looked down at the tube. "It doesn't come out until Ethan says so." Jay's lips curved up a tiny bit, amused that Erin had understood exactly what he asking with just an eye movement.

"I'll go get him." Will had almost forgotten that he needed to go find Ethan to let him know that Jay was awake again. He hesitated to pull his hand away from his brother. Last time he had left the room to go get Ethan; his brother had almost slipped away.

"I'll go." Erin whispered, giving Will an understanding look as she hurried out of the room.

"Jay!" Ethan exclaimed as he rushed into the room with Erin on his heels. He had just exited the elevator on Jay's floor when Erin had raced up to him and let him know that Jay was awake. "I know that tube is uncomfortable, so we'll see what we can do. You've given us a huge scare. You had a collapsed lung and then some complications. You've been fighting pneumonia." Jay blinked a few times. Erin, Ethan, and Will could see the shock in Jay's eyes. "You're responding well to the second set of antibiotics."

"What does this mean?" Erin was beyond thrilled that Jay had woken up but he still had the tube down his throat and Ethan had told them that the pneumonia was still in Jay's lungs.

"We'll keep fighting the pneumonia and let you recover. The tube needs to stay in a little bit longer." Ethan gave Jay a knowing look. He had never been personally intubated but he could only imagine how uncomfortable it must be. "I know." He answered the sigh that he swore slipped out from around the tube in Jay's throat. "We'll get it out as soon as we can." That was the best answer he could give Jay at this time.

"We're just happy you're awake." Erin could have sobbed in happiness. Every day that passed was a huge decrease in the chances that Jay would wake up. She had held out hope that he would wake up but she had also been so scared he would never wake up. She sat down next to him with Will and began to update him on a little bit of what he had missed.


	7. Patient

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, follows, and favorites! Sorry this is a little short!

* * *

Jay mouthed the words 'ow' with a grimace on his face as the end of the tube cleared his mouth. He was pretty sure if he tried to actually use his voice, his windpipe might shatter so he refrained from actually speaking any words. Everyone was holding their breath as they watched Dr. Rhodes press his stethoscope to his chest. The entire Intelligence team and Will were crowded into Jay's hospital room. They had all flocked to the hospital the second the text message went out that they were removing Jay's breathing tube.

"You sound much better, Jay." Dr. Rhodes said after what felt like an hour of him listening to Jay's chest. There were just a few residual crackles in his right lung but he was comfortable monitoring that with Jay on some supplemental oxygen. "Here, water is going to be your best friend." He handed Jay a cup of water and Jay nodded vigorously as he took it gratefully. Dr. Rhodes grabbed an oxygen mask and put it on Jay. "This stays on." He raised an eyebrow and gave Jay a knowing look. Jay nodded that he understood. This was so much better than the breathing tube by a long shot and he was completely positive that he never wanted to experience that ever again. He knew that there was a reason the tube had been down his throat but that didn't make him enjoy it any more.

"How are you feeling?" Will was hovering close, ready to jump in if Jay's stats started to fall or he struggled to breath. Jay still wasn't sure if he was up to talking, so he used his hand to give a thumbs- up. He couldn't wait to get out of the bed. He definitely was stiff and knew that he would need to spend some serious time to build his muscles back up.

"Just keep drinking water and your throat will start to feel better soon. If you need me, call me." Jay gave Dr. Rhodes a smile and held his hand out for a handshake. Dr. Rhodes smiled back and shook his hand. He was happy to see Jay without the tube in his throat. He considered all of the detectives in the room a friend and enjoyed spending time with them at Molly's. He was grateful that he was going to be able to still have drinks with Jay. Will skipped a handshake and gave Ethan a hug. He wasn't normally one for hugging but he had no words to convey how grateful he was for all that he had done. Ethan gave him an understanding nod as they stepped back before walking out of the room amidst a chorus of thanks.

"We miss you in the office." Erin gave Erin a huge grin and leaned into give him a gentle hug. She'd been partnered with the rest of the guys and while she loved all of them, they weren't Jay. There was something that had clicked when she was partnered with Jay and she missed him immensely.

"I forgot how much this chick can eat!" Olinsky cracked a joke. They'd been staking out a house earlier this week and Erin had eaten more snacks and food than he could figure out how it fit in her slim frame. Erin playfully punched Olinsky arm as she laughed along with everyone else in the room. There had been so much tension and fear in everyone and it was all gone now that Jay was out of the woods. It felt like it was okay to laugh and smile and relax.

"I left you a nice stack of paperwork on your desk." Ruzek gave Jay a cheeky grin. He'd been on light duty and done more paperwork than he knew existed so he would be grateful to pass that torch onto Jay for a few weeks until they were all cleared to full duty. Jay rolled his eyes and Ruzek could only imagine the choice words that Jay normally would have said. There was lightness to the air that was intoxicating to everyone. There had been so much tension and fear in everyone and it was all gone now that Jay was out of the woods. Everyone exchanged silly banter for the next hour before heading out to let Jay get some rest.

* * *

"How does it feel?" Atwater gave Burgess a huge hug as she walked through the front doors of the precinct. She was finally able to go back to patrol and Atwater was thrilled to see her in her blues. After weeks of pulling random partners, he was exhilarated to be back with Burgess. He was already planning on treating her to her favorite lunch spot and didn't care if it was the slowest shift, he was grateful to be riding it with his partner. It would be nice to know who had his back. She was one of the absolute best cops Atwater knew.

"Like coming home!" She had a huge smile on her face as she approached Platt. Her heart was soaring as she got prepared for her first shift back. Her stomach had healed nicely. She was pain free and thrilled to be out of her house and doing the job that she loved.

"Well, look who's finally decided to trade in the sweatpants and soap operas!" Platt gave Burgess a normal greeting as she tidied up a stack of papers on her desk. "No bonbons or slippers here." She smirked as she handed them the keys to their patrol car. Her face turned serious and she looked Burgess straight in the eyes, "Be safe." She said. She might pretend to be all sass and uncaring but she cared immensely for everyone in her precinct and it made her extremely anxious when one of them was injured.

"Will do!" Burgess gave her a small, knowing nod. She had picked through Platt's attitude a long time ago. Atwater and Burgess headed out to their car to begin their shift.

* * *

"I'm going to go crazy." Jay grumbled as he let his head flop back against the pillow. He'd started asking to go home the day the tube came out of his throat. After six days of being cooped up in the hospital was getting to him. He was getting jealous of how everyone could just come and go as they pleased. He wanted to get back to his apartment and back into his life.

"Ethan will release you when he thinks you're good to go." Will felt like a broken record. He had said the same words to Jay over and over for the past few days. He knew that Jay felt like he was caged but he was still in recovery.

"I know." Jay conceded after a few moments. He had been working hard with the physical and respiratory therapists. He was astonished at how weak he had gotten but the therapist had explained that muscles atrophy quickly when a patient was not using them at all.

"What do you want for dinner?" Will tried to break the mood as he looked at what time it was. Jay had been cleared to eat whatever food he wanted and Will had been bringing Jay whatever he had asked for. His appetite hadn't returned yet so when Jay made a request, Will ran to grab it.

"I don't care." Jay shrugged his shoulders as he flipped the television on. He wasn't really hungry. What he really wanted was to be drinking a beer at Molly's with the rest of his friends. He knew that both Ruzek and Burgess had made it back to work and he was the only one not back to normal. He wanted to be back to his normal desperately. It was hard to be patient when all he wanted was to be back to chasing down the bad guys and doing the job that made him happy.

"You gotta eat, man." Will sighed as he thought over the nearby restaurants. He knew that there was a good burger joint only a few minutes from the hospital that the hospital staff frequented. "How about a burger?" He hoped Jay wouldn't be able to resist his favorite food. Jay nodded and Will got to his feet, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He returned with the food about an hour later and Jay had dozed off. Will laughed quietly to himself and one of the nurses stuck the food in the fridge for him. Will settled in the chair next to the bed and let himself fall asleep.


	8. Swirl of Emotion

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has stuck out this story with me! I am working on a few new things that I would like to get out in the next few weeks. Hope you enjoy the last chapter!

* * *

"Police! Freeze! Drop your weapon!" Burgess yelled as she drew her gun for the first time since her attack. It sent a chill down her spine as she knelt down behind the police car as the man fired a shot towards her and Atwater. Atwater swore under his breath. They were almost at the end of their shift when they had gotten the call of a man disturbing the peace. "We need backup at Kingsly and Grout!" She said into the radio. "Shots fired at the police." She knew that was a call that made everyone hold their breath and that units would be headed their way immediately.

"You're going to shoot me!" The man screamed back at them as he emptied his clip in the direction of them. The bullets ricocheted off of the cruiser but the sound of the shots sent the few people out on the street sprinting for shelter. "You're trying to kill me!"

"Put your weapon down or we will be forced to shoot!" Atwater answered with harshness to his voice. He hadn't become a police officer to kill people. He always hated when they ended up in a situation where they knew that lethal force might be necessary. He wanted this to end peacefully but with an volatile and unpredictable suspect, it didn't always end that way.

"No!" The man kept his gun leveled with the cruiser and the two police officers hiding behind it. He went to let off another shot but realized that his clip was empty. He reached for his back pocket and Burgess saw an opportunity. She exploded from behind the cruiser and threw herself across the space, tackling the man to the ground. She grunted as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach but ignored it as she kicked the gun further away from the man. Atwater was hot on her heels and helped hold the man's hands behind his back as she handcuffed him.

"Damn Burgess. That was good." Atwater said with admiration in his voice. He gave her a look that made Burgess feel like she should blush as they hauled the man to his feet. "You're under arrest." Atwater rattled off the man his Miranda Rights as they walked him towards their cruiser. The man refused to say anything else and kept his lips pressed together tightly. A second and third cruiser came screeching to a halt behind theirs and four officers came pouring out.

"You guys okay?" Grimm asked as he re-holstered his weapon after he saw the suspect in handcuffs. They had only been about ten blocks away when they'd heard the call over the radio and had gone speeding towards their location.

"We're good. Our cruiser is done for. Can you take him back to precinct?" Burgess winced as she took in the damage. There were several bullet holes in the side of the car and the back wheel was flat. The back, driver side window was shattered and Burgess knew that Platt was going to cut her head off for destroying the car. Grimm and his partner nodded as they wrestled the man into the back of their cruiser and drove off towards the precinct. Burgess and Atwater hung behind to help with the evidence collecting and to wait until their cruiser had been towed.

"How you feeling? " Atwater asked as the adrenaline started wearing off. He gave Burgess a good onceover and he noticed her hand was resting against her stomach. Her face wasn't pale and she didn't look in pain but he couldn't help but be concerned.

"I'm fine." Burgess gave him a real smile and Atwater felt like he could relax a little bit. She didn't want to tell him but her belly was a little bit sore from the hard fall. She knew it was nothing that some Advil couldn't help. "Seriously." She added, looking Atwater straight in the eye so he could see that she meant it.

"First day back, huh?" Atwater shook his head with a smile. Burgess shrugged her shoulders and nodded. It was definitely not a boring first day. They were being sent back to the precinct to re-set and get their new cruiser. They hitched a ride back and Burgess sighed as she sank back into the seat. While she didn't enjoy being shot at, she had missed the feeling of accomplishment and the joy of keeping the public safe.

* * *

"How many more days?" Jay was starting to get more antsy as the days started to drag on longer. He was now on his ninth day since he had woken up and he was beyond ready to go home.

"Your lungs still had enough crackles that Connor wanted to hold you one more night." Will said. He had to agree with his colleague that he was acting in Jay's best interest to keep him overnight.

"My lungs feel fine." Jay shrugged but knew that the doctor was in his best interest. He just wanted for this whole ordeal to be over so he could get back on duty.

"Yea. Yea." Will rolled his eyes. He loved his brother but he could be so stubborn. He couldn't imagine how difficult it was to be stuck, especially when Jay's life was normally so intense.

"You'd be going crazy if you were here!" Jay retorted. His brother was just as an awful of a patient as he was.

"I wouldn't be here though. I would have ducked!" Will joked right back. Jay laughed as he playfully shoved Will away from the bed. They had grown exponentially closer in the past few weeks and Jay and Will were both happy they were closing the distance.

"Like you have any room to talk, Mr. Five hundred broken noses!" Jay snickered as he remembered how many times Will had come home with blood pouring from his nose after mouthing off to the varsity football player or inciting one of the other jocks in their high school.

"Oh whatever. I am a better fighter than you!" Now it was Jay's turn to roll his eyes. "All right, unlike some lazy people, I have to get to work." Will said as he glanced at his watch. Now that Jay was stable, Will had taken on a few shifts. Will knew that Jay would need someone to help keep him calm once he was discharged and that would be hard to do from the hospital. Jay nodded and Will gave Jay a quick hug before heading out. Jay flipped the television to a hockey game and relaxed as the afternoon slipped away.

* * *

"Ready?" Will pulled up in front of Jay's apartment. Both he and Jay had huge grins on their faces that had started the second that Dr. Rhodes had started talking about discharge. Jay had a few remaining crackles in his chest but with him up and moving, those would resolve on their own and Dr. Rhodes no longer had any reason to keep Jay in the hospital. Will put the car in park and reached for Jay's bag in the backseat, ignoring a protest from Jay that he could do it himself. Jay led the way up the stairs to his apartment and unlocked it. He opened the door and nearly jumped out of his skin when the crowd of people behind it yelled along with Will, "Surprise!" Will grinned as Jay recovered from his shock.

"Hi! You look great!" Erin was the first to greet him with a huge hug. The rest of his team followed, giving him handshakes and hugs with well wishes. There were several firefighters from 51 and a few of Jay's friends from Gaffney waiting for him. They had hung banners and balloons throughout the apartment that said 'Welcome home' and 'We missed you'.

"You're not allowed to ever do that again, man!" Ruzek gave Jay a clap on the back as he hugged him. He knew that he wasn't really one to talk, as he had also spent a stint in the hospital, but his injuries had not been anywhere near as severe as Jay's. Jay laughed as he agreed. He definitely did not plan on ever doing that again.

"It's so good to see you!" Antonio gave Jay a firm handshake before pulling him in for a quick hug. Al was next and gave him a peck on the cheek and then put both hands on Jay's shoulders with a grateful look. Voight went last and grabbed Jay's hand and looked him dead in the eyes. Jay could see the swirl of emotions that were in Voight's eyes and knew exactly what Voight was telling him without a single word spoken. Jay nodded his appreciation and Voight patted him on the shoulder before moving on.

"You hungry?" Will asked as he held out a piece of pizza to Jay along with a soft drink. Since Jay was still on antibiotics, there was not a drop of alcohol brought to the party. Everyone milled around and chatted with Jay. The atmosphere was light and happy. After a few hours, people started to filter out until they were left with just the Intelligence Team sitting around Jay's living room.

"We almost lost you." Erin spoke up after they had been sitting in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Her eyes looked a little misty as she thought about how unsure they had been about Jay's recovery. The tubes and the alarms still haunted her dreams.

"But we didn't." Voight spoke up as he looked at his team and felt a rare smile taking over his face. He knew just how close he had been to losing valuable members of his team. He wasn't known for his speeches or his affectionate behavior, but he cared immensely for the detectives and officers that worked for him. "You guys are irreplaceable. You do an incredible, thankless job that not many can stomach or handle. I couldn't ask for a better team." He said as he looked around at the faces of his team. Everyone smiled as they held up their drinks for a toast to being whole and together again.


End file.
